“This money,” I began, my voice stronger now, “is for my child. Our child. It was never meant for anything or anyone else. I am sorry if you feel abandoned or neglected, but this isn’t about you. It’s about ensuring a future where my child doesn’t have to experience what we did.”

Tara’s expression flickered, but she didn’t move. My mother, still seated, had gone silent, her eyes fixed on me with an unreadable expression.

“You’ve always resented me for having what you didn’t,” I continued, addressing both Tara and my mother. “But I refuse to let my child be used as a pawn in this family’s endless cycle of guilt and manipulation.”